this may not be the las vegas you know. this is the underbelly. an underworld filled with criminals, with undercover cops trying to catch the crooks. >> i told him to go [ bleep ] himself. catch me if you can. >> in this episode, pimps and prostitutes. it's a very dangerous world.

we go along on all-out manhunt for a suspected pimp and keep our cameras rolling. the undercover officer was on the street for less than four minutes. shocking encounters in shocking public places. then we confront the pimps. >> there's no crime in having 15 girls here. >> and the prostitutes. >> i'm done with vegas and vegas is done with me. >> we dig deeper into the mind of a criminal. >> if i was a so-called pimp, i would never let somebody solicit them with me there. >> it's revealing and it's wrong. hello and welcome to "vegas undercover raw."

i'm chris hansen. three pronged. they go after the prostitutes, the pimps who control the women and the johns seeking their services. until now, nbc news has broadcast only a small part of the footage we recorded by showing more of the undercover video and my confrontations with some of those arrested, we hope to shed more light on this illegal and often dangerous way of life. first, we take a look at the pimps and give you an incredible view in how the police try to shut them down. they have a unit here called the pimp investigatetive team, and one of the operations that they vun is that they have an undercover policewoman stroll down the strip posing as a prostitute. and within minutes, pimps start

approaching her, you need somebody to take care of you? what do you expect the scenario to be tonight? >> tonight our target are pimps. if that is a new girl they don't recognize as having a pimp, they are going to try to recruit her. >> lieutenant karen hughes runs the vice squad, which includes the pimp investigative team. her unit arrested nearly 100 pimps in 2009. there is this image that some people have of prostitution in las vegas being this glamorous, high class world of call girls. >> that's a fally. it's violent, it's vile, degrading. >> the strategy is you go after the pimp, you're going after the top of the criminal organization. and you eliminate a lot of the

abuse. they're making big money. >> huge money. and through manipulation, they make these women believe that this is their lot in life. this is their new family and that he's everything. he becomes their daddy. >> i haven't been here that long. >> we were allowed to go along on one of these investigations. we had incredible access. what they do is they have an undercover policewoman stroll down the strip posing as a prostitute and they wait until pimps approach the woman and try to recruit her. i got a cameraman up here, a cameraman over there, hidden cameras over here. and these guys are just really aggressive. i mean, look, i knew this stuff went on, don't get me wrong. but to see it in real time and to be so close to it, to be within feet of it, it was remarkable.

>> it's like they have a script. the street is a tough place for a young woman to be a prostitute without a pimp and they work them and work them.

>> the undercover has to be very careful, because some of these guys are violent, and even though this is out in the open and a lot of precautions are taken to make sure that she is safe, you've got to be careful. >> she knows exactly how to play it.

and every word is being recorded and listened to by other investigators. so they know right when the line has been crossed. >> once he starts selling his services, he's crossing the line, he's breaking the law. >> so she makes up an excuse to leave. she tells the guy i have to go see a john. she goes away for an hour, we go away for an hour. we come back to the meeting spot, she gives him a percentage for turning the trick and in that time, the law has been broken. they arrest him, they question him. they take him away. at one point, i get a chance to ask him some questions. >> can you tell me what happened

tonight? >> i was going one way and she said something, i said something back. next thing you know, i'm in cuffs, man. >> so you just talked and that was it? >> as far as i know, yeah. what else did i do? >> did you promise her anything? >> i didn't promise her anything. >> did you offer her anything? >> i didn't offer her anything but a friend. >> a friend? did you tell her that you could be her pimp? >> i've never been a pimp in your life. i'm not a pimp. >> how did you get that money in your pocket? >> she put it in my pocket. >> why would a woman who you just met tonight give you money like that? >> because she's working for the police. >> she also told you that she was a prostitute, that she was going to turn a trick and you would meet like 40 minutes later and that money she gave you was

supposed to be from the trick she turned. >> that's not what she said. >> what did she say? >> it was all a blur. >> all a blur? it seems like when i ask the difficult questions about being a pimp, it's all a blur. everything else you remember. >> i feel like i'm a victim of circumstances. >> you're the victim, not the woman you tried to recruit? you didn't have to promise her certain things that a pimp could promi promise? >> my intentions was to get a couple drinks and go back home. >> what made you notice her? >> she's a good looking woman, i'm a good looking dude. >> and you wanted to be her pimp? >> never. >> so you're set up? >> i am set up. honestly. >> unlike other suspects and criminals i have interviewed who admit to what they've been done because they've seen the videotaped evidence, these guyed

won't give up a thing. i wasn't doing it. she's a good looking girl, i'm a good looking guy, i'm skrus trying to make conversation. i mean, they do not give up a thing. but in court, christopher does concede more. he pleads guilty to a charge of attempted pandering and gets a suspend eed sentence of one to four years. coming up, vegas pd on a man punt for a suspected pimp. >> i understand you're not over there, but can you go to the house? >> they enlist the help of this woman. if you had not escape when you did, where do you think you would be today? >> in the hospital or the morgue. then, i confront the suspect. what about at the restaurant that time when she says -- >> was y'all following us around at the restaurant? ♪

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this is the police department. open the front door. >> the pimp investigative team also does street operations. and it was interesting because we were actually at their offices, and we end up in the middle of this very active case. there was a s.w.a.t. team that went to this house to try the arrest this guy. we watched this case unfold in real action. the s.w.a.t. team is in the house now doing a thorough search to see whether or not this guy is in there. if they find him they will bring him out. if he's not there, this investigative team can go in and start making their case. how the cops got here is interesting story. it started with not one but two 911 calls. the first was from a woman. and another call from a man

claiming he was being victimized. the police figured donna was telling the truth. and they figured that steven had a history of violence. we start early in the morning. the police are aggressively pursuing the case. the victim, donna, is with them. we are in a parking lot. the goal is to try to find steven harris. it had to be a heck of an experience to find yourself suddenly trapped, really. >> yeah, pretty much, probably one of the worst experiences in my life. >> donna lives in florida. she was in the air force for a while. divorced. she was online, myspace. meets steven. they develop an online relationship. he invites her to come to vegas. the shes this could be a legitimate romantic opportunity. how long were you here in vegas

before things went bad? >> approximately a week and a half. >> earlier we saw a pimp trying to recruit someone he thought was a prosecute. but with donna we see another tactic entirely, an accused pimp trying to recruit someone who isn't a working girl at all. what happened? >> everything was fine. we went out to eat. there were a couple older white gentlemen. he said why don't you go over there and talk to him and see what you can do for us. i thought he was kidding. i kind of laughed it off. he didn't say anything until we got home. he told me why didn't you do what i told you to do. i take the decisions now, you don't. he said you were supposed to talk to them and make us some money. >> meaning turn a trick? >> he wanted me to turn a trick and prostitute. >> you had to be thinking this isn't what i signed up for. >> exactly. and i was like, i asked him, are you really serious? is that what you brought me out here for? he said yeah.

did you think i really wanted to be with you? i tried to get out of the house. >> what did he do? >> he came over and put his right arm around my stomach and grabbed my hand. i tried to pull away and he threw me across the room. i landed on my back and he started beating me. >> he beat you? >> yeah. >> so you got out of the house? >> after that, he made me sit down on the bed and then he made me go to the bathroom and he watched me to go the bathroom, which is humiliating. and then after that -- sorry. >> that's all right. if you had not escaped when you did, where do you think you would be today? >> either in the hospital or the morgue. >> the cops need to find steven harris and this is all happening very quickly and donna bravely agreed to help the police find steven harris. >> hey. what are you doing? i mean i just wanted to know if i could come by and get my stuff.

i can find my own way back. >> steven harris tells donna that he's not home. >> i understand you're not over there, but is there any way you can go to the house? >> he's not going give up the location where he's at. >> okay. all right. whatever. >> the police don't know whether he is lying. he could be hiding out in his big home. they figure when they do get there it's either going be an arrest warrant, a search warrant, perhaps both. >> steven harris, las vegas police department. come to your front door. come outside. >> there was nobody home. steven harris apparently hadn't been there for a while. all of a sudden, steven harris calls one of the detectives on the pimp investigative team who had been trying to reach him for days trying to track him down. this is where it gets interesting. >> how are you doing, man?

let me ask you a question. it's not mamd toir or -- mandatory or anything like that. would you be willing to fill out a written statement about what happened to get your side of the story? >> they set up a meeting and here he comes, steven harris. they arrest steven harris as they are taking him to the police car, i approach him. i ask him if he wants to talk. >> i am chris hansen. >> once he figures out who it is he wants to tell the story. >> we are doing the story on pimps in las vegas. >> co-incidence. lucky for me, huh? >> lucky for you. >> you ever see our show to catch a predator. >> what is she? 17 or something? >> no. >> good. >> but the word on the street, steven, is that you're a pimp. >> no.

and you're running girls. >> no. >> she just made this up? >> she made a lot of stuff up. >> what about at the runlt that time when she says -- >> was you following us around at the restaurant? >> i will get to that. you're in the restaurant. you tell her to go up to a group of men. >> no. that never happened. >> so she is making this up. >> i told her to -- >> you said go up to that group of men and see what you can figure out. >> at the restaurant when i'm with her? if i was a so-called pimp, i would never let someone of my girls go solicit somebody while they are with me. get real. why would i do that? that is just dumb. if i was a pimp i wouldn't do that. so that story is a lie. made up. >> the picture that starts to come together here is one of you grooming her like so many other pimps groom women. >> i told her she could be my woman. that's all it was. we did everything that you would do with a woman and even some more. you dig? >> how come you whooped her?

>> i didn't whoop her. she told you i whooped her? >> she said she was defending herself. >> did you see anything where she was beat up? >> so you are the victim? >> honestly, i am the victim. first she beats me up and i call domestic violence on her and now i am going jail on pimping. honestly, i am the victim here. >> so you are saying you have never pimped any woman? >> never pimped any women, no. i called domestic violence on the girl because she beat me up. the next thing you know i'm in jail for pandering. that's our system. that's what i want folks to know. if you think you want to call the cops because your spouse beat you up you might want to think about that again. >> i appreciate you talking. >> no problem. >> after our meeting, steven harris pleads guilty to pandering and is sentenced to 90 days in jail. coming up -- >> he sat on my arms. >> two women with the same pimp tell remarkably similar stories. >> how many times did he beat you?

>> too many to count. >> and i confront him. >> how do you make your living? >> i am one, too? >> one what? >> i am an entertainer. whatever you want to call it. i am an entertainer. >> when vegas undercover raw continues.

las vegas. casinos, restaurants and shows. drawing 40 million tourists a year. it's known as an adult playground. the sheriff who runs the las vegas police department is aware of his town's reputation. sin city. certain behavior is tolerated here. >> i know the advertising that you see out there may give people that impression but it's far from that.

we're a very proactive hard working progressive police organization. >> i think there is also the perception that prostitution is legal. >> in clark county it's illegal. it's a very dirty business. there is a lot of criminal activity associated with it. we're very aggressive in going after the three components of prostitution. you have the pimps, you have the prostitutes and the clients. and all three get attention by us. >> one of the reasons why the pimp investigative team is so aggressive about going after the pimps is that in many cases, they are violent guys. we are introduced to two women, jessica and elizabeth who tell remarkably similar stories about living with, working for, and being abused by. by mario. >> how are you? >> mario is slick. he meets with elizabeth, senses

apparently that she is in a real bad spot and within an hour convinces her to come to work for him. >> how did he come off? was he a charming guy? >> absolutely. you know, he would drive up in his escalade, $10,000 worth of jewelry on. of course it's attractive. >> what did he tell you? >> he asked me what i wanted to do with my life. you know, what i wanted. that he can make it all happen. and i packed my stuff and an hour later i was in his condo. >> how much would you talk? >> i had a quota. i had to make that quota. >> what was the quota? >> $1,200 to $1,500 a night. >> what would happen if you didn't make that quota? >> he would make sure. >> elizabeth tells horrifying tales of how mario used threats, intimidation to keep his girls in line. >> so he shaved your head?

>> yes. on the lowest setting of the clippers. >> he knows your weaknesses. >> oh, yeah. >> he and -- he knows how to exploit them. >> i would be so scared of him that i would pass out. >> did he ever hit you or abuse you? >> yes. >> tell me about that. >> i saw him hit one of the girls and he was so nonchalant and i had never been exposed to anything like that and i was like you know what? i don't respect men who hit women and he slammed my head into the floor. >> he slammed your head into the floor? >> yeah. >> why did you stay? >> i really had no other choice. you know, after that, yeah. i tried to get out. and there was no leaving. he wouldn't let me. >> what would he do? >> he would be like all right. go pack your stuff. if i actually did he would beat me so severely. >> how many times did he beat you? >> too many to count. >> too many to count. yet you stayed? >> i couldn't leave.

>> but elizabeth does leave. mario is out of town and she decides enough is enough and makes her daring escape. >> elizabeth tells her story. mario is arrested and then he makes bail. when he is out on bail is when he apparently beats up jessica. >> he beat me up because he thought i was lying to him. >> he thought you were lying? >> he thought i was cheating on him. >> remarkably, jessica's story is almost identical to elizabeth's. >> i woke up and he started yelling at me asking me who it was and before i could answer him, yeah, he picked me up and threw me off the couch. >> what did he do then? >> slid on the floor. and then he sat on my arms -- >> pinned you down? >> uh-huh. that's when he hit me in my face. >> similarly, when he is accused

of beating up jessica, he also cuts off some of her hair. jessica agrees to be interviewed. the detective gets a warrant and basically there is a manhunt. there is an interesting parallel because that detective actually went to high school with mario. and mario knows that chris is coming after him and chris knows that mario is going do his best not to get caught. >> hi, i'm back. is mario here? where is he at? do you know? you don't know? all right, chris. he is not here. >> what we did find, i told you about the hair that he chopped off her head. >> they check out two other locations where he has been known to stay. >> nobody home. >> he is not there. and then there is a phone call. it's mario's lawyer. he has agreed to turn himself in.

he makes bail again and this is when i decide to go pay a visit to mario at his home. >> i wanted to get your side of the story on this. >> i'm innocent. only thing i am guilty of is being black and having a girlfriend who is a prostitute. there is no crime in having 15 girlfriends. i'm not married. i'm still young. >> there is no crime in having 15 girlfriends. but the question is -- were they going out and turning tricks and giving you money? >> no they wasn't. >> i never told her that she could sell her [ muted ] and get some money and give it to me. >> how do you make your living then? >> i am one, too. >> what? >> i'm an escort myself. >> so you make money being an escort? >> i am an entertainer. however you want to call it. i'm an entertainer. i am addicted to pretty women. that's all it is.

>> they have evidence that they were turning over their earnings to you. >> they don't have no evidence. >> jessica had a black eye and bruises all over her body. she claims -- >> that's what she claims but i will tell you like this. i am innocent of all of that and in the end the truth will come out. >> mario davis denies wrongdoing to me but he pleads guilty to pandering and is sentenced to five years probation. you know, five years probation seemed light to a lot of people and i posed the question to chris and he said look, we got a guilty plea. we got it on the record. and if he does one thing wrong in five years he will go away for a long time. so either he stops doing it and we have achieved our goal or he messes up and he is gone for a long, long time. coming up, vegas police set up a

sting operation to catch prostitutes turning more than one trick. when vegas undercover raw continues. [ male announcer ] there's more than one of these abandoned racetracks in america today. automotive performance is gone. and all we have left are fallen leaves and broken dreams. oh. wait a second. that is a dodge durango. looks like american performance is doing just fine. ♪ carry on. ♪ is now honey nut cheerios! yup, america's favorite. so we're celebrating the honey sweetness, crunchy oats and... hey! don't forget me!! honey nut cheerios. make it your favorite too! vietnam, 1967.

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msnbc now. i'm alex witt. new talks have ended at the white house aimed at putting together a deal to raise the debt limit. not of the leaders seemed optimistic before today. and the man arrested in norway's bombing bought six tons of fertilizer recently. police are searching for the motive. i'm alex witt. now back to "vegas undercover." >> welcome back to "vegas undercover raw." we have seen vegas police officers putting themselves on the line to hunt down the dangerous violent men

controlling the prostitution industry, the pimps. next, in never before broadcast surveillance footage, you'll see what happens when the vegas vice squad sets up another undercover sting. this time to take down the call girls. what are you looking for tonight? >> tonight, we are targeting the prolific prostitute that makes her living out of more than just prostitution. >> las vegas police lieutenant karen hughes is in charge of the vice squad. in this sting operation, she is not just going after the working girls for prostitution she's also taking aim at theft. >> she is stealing from her clients and we call those trick rolls. >> the male undercover officer checks into a hotel room wired with cameras and microphones. and she comes. there is an expensive watch and they see if the woman takes it.

how often does this go on? >> goes on all the time. >> the reason the police do the trick roll sting operations is because, and the reality is that a lot of the guys are not going report this because they are embarrassed by what's happened. >> the undercover police officer posing as the john calls for the escort service or the call girl and literally within minutes the woman is knocking on the door. so this woman was familiar to you guys? >> yes. she was encountered last night by the enforcement team. >> how long has she been in the game? >> probably a couple of months. according to her. she works for an escort service now. worked at a strip club and was a preschool teacher prior to that. >> she was a teacher? >> went into cocktails. didn't make enough money there. so three months later here she is. >> we are going actually have sex, right? >> uh-huh.

>> the trick is when the undercover police officer posing as the john acts like he has had too much to drink and passes out. thus creating the potential opportunity for the woman to take the money, the watch or whatever is out there. >> do you need help? >> no. can you give me a back rub or something? >> yeah. >> she gives him a massage. he passes out. she checks to make sure that he is out. and then she takes a substantial amount of money.

something like $1,100. >> go. >> how strong is the videotape as evidence? >> almost irrefutable. not only do you have the undercover officer that will testify that that is the same individual that he encountered but we have the videotape, as well. >> the former preschool teacher pleads guilty to soliciting but gets the larceny charge dismissed as part of a plea agreement. she's sentenced to time served. when another appointment arrives, instead of playing drunk, the undercover officer is in a wheelchair and police are in for a surprise. >> i know it is hard to believe but this woman is actually pregnant. this is one of those sad cases. how bad is this woman's life that she, while pregnant, shows

up to turn a trick in some guy's hotel room. that's a sad case. >> the pregnant suspect helps the undercover officer over to the couch. she seems genuinely concerned about the john. >> they negotiate the deal for

$500 for two hours and even though she's clearly pregnant, she says there's really no limit for what she can do for him. >> go. don't put her down. do not put her down. >> stand up. stand up.

turn around. turn around. >> it's important to say many were quite concerned about the well-being of the so-called john, the undercover police detective. even though maybe in her mind she was just taking the money she was owed it is still illegal and she was arrested. the pregnant prostitute pleads guilty to soliciting and is sentenced to aids awareness counseling and fined $500. coming up, the sting nets one of las vegas's most active prostitutes. >> those are nice. >> this woman is considered a top offender. she is one of the 50 most pro-lirveg prolific prostitutes here in las vegas. >> and i get to talk to her. i am chris hansen at "dateline" nbc. how did you end up in this situation? when vegas undercover raw continues. let me tell you about a very important phone call i made.

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las vegas police department vice squad targets pimps, prostitutes and johns. they have been a very busy unit, trying to put a scare into the criminal community. over a two-year span from 2008 to 2009, they make more than 7,000 arrests for soliciting prostitution. of those arrests, nearly 500 come from their trick roll sting. and they give us an all access pass to witness the sting first-hand. it is an undercover operation with inherent danger. the goal is to round up women who are not only selling their

bodies but turning some other tricks on their customers. it's a hotel room and it looks like a guy has been staying there. an expensive watch out. in this case a rolex. some chips, cash, and a wallet. if somebody wanted to take advantage of the situation, it's all right there and all being recorded by hidden cameras and microphones. as our cameras record the action, some suspected prostitutes steal. >> two more bills. >> it's important to point out that a fair number don't take anything other than the negotiated price. they may have been honest -- >> turn around. >> but they are still arrested for soliciting and the cops recognize some of the ladies coming through the door like this woman who is a very familiar face. police know her by name. shannon. this woman is considered a veto,

a vice enforcement top offender. she is allegedly one of the 50 most prolific prostitutes here in las vegas and because of that they believe she is more likely to try to rob a john. just like in an earlier encounter, the undercover officer is pretending to be passed out. >> how many times has she been arrested? >> lots. >> 30, 40 times, maybe. >> what's surprising, you know, is how somebody so young can be so prolific. you can see the toll that it has taken on her life. it's rough. >> she is trying to check out the wallet but she can only do it with one hand. she already knows what she has in the chips. >> tucking the money into her skirt. >> she doesn't touch the rolex.

>> a tense moment for shannon. the phone rings and she is worried that the john is going to wake up. >> she is going get some of the chips. i told you. >> she just needs to leave. take your stuff and go. >> you see it coming. once the woman takes the money or the chips or the watch, you know she will be arrested. >> oh my god. >> coming up, a candid conversation with one of las vegas's most prolific prostitutes. >> we heard that you had been arrested some 50 times is that true? >> probably. >> an opportunity to tap into the mind of a career criminal.

>> i am done with vegas and vegas is done with me. this is not the life for anybody to take. seriously. >> when vegas undercover raw continues. ♪ going to the bank without going to the bank... that's a step forward. with chase quickdeposit on your smartphone, you just snap a picture, hit send and done. chase quickdeposit. take a step forward and chase what matters. ♪ we just keep on keepin' on ♪ ♪ keep on [ male announcer ] get ready for the left lane.

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go. >> the las vegas police department's pimp investigation team. >> stand up. turn around. >> i didn't do anything. >> ran a sting operation to catch prostitutes in the act. >> those are nice. >> not just for soliciting but for stealing from johns, too. some took the bait. others didn't. but the only thing for sure is behind the glitz there is a dark story to be told. i first saw shannon, designated one of vegas's most prolific prostitutes when she entered the hotel room wired by the vegas police. and after the arrest, i wanted

to find out from her what makes a woman arrested nearly 50 times keep going back to that life. what happened? >> i was stupid. is that what you mean? >> we had heard that you had been arrested some 50 times. is that true? >> probably. i think so. >> do you know what veto is? >> yeah i am. yeah i do know. >> shannon has been in trouble with the law so many time she has been designated a veto. a vice enforcement top offender. you are one of the top 50 most active prosecutes in las vegas. >> that's why i am mad at myself right now. i really -- i've been trying to settle down. >> how did you get designated? >> i am -- i have been out here eight years. i have been out here every single day. i have been busted more than a

million and one times. >> more than a million and one times? >> by every single police officer out here. >> how old are you? >> 24. >> how did you end up in this situation? >> an ex-boyfriend of mine. >> is that how you got into the life? >> yeah. >> how old were you then? >> i was 17, 18. >> how much money can you make doing this? >> you don't make good money doing this. that's the whole point. >> you got make some money. >> i mean you make the money because you want to get things, back in the day you would make money. i would make money. >> back in the day how long ago? >> five years ago i made like two grand a day. >> two grand a day? what did you do with the money? >> stupid stuff. >> drugs? >> no. when i first started doing it yeah i was on drugs. >> what kind of drugs? >> i used to do speed. i had a baby and gave my baby up for adoption. >> you have been clean what?

four or five years? >> no, two years. >> what kind of men do you meet? >> sometimes i meet weirdos. >> how weird? >> they want to call me a little girl and want me to tell them they are my daddy. that i'm 10 years old and other stuff. >> do you have a pimp? >> i had one a long time ago when i first got into it and he pistol whipped me three times. >> pistol whipped you? >> i got welts all over my hand. >> so you ran away? >> he actually went to prison for life. >> now how much money can you make doing this? >> i don't know. now i really don't count. i am banned from vegas. i am done with vegas and vegas is done with me and this is not the life for anybody to take. seriously. >> where do you go from here? >> i think i'm going jail.

>> at some point after being arrested 50 times, that's going lead to a serious sentence. >> yeah i'm in some -- >> how do you get out of this? >> you are asking me that? >> is that your plan? >> yeah. >> is there anything else you want folks to know? >> don't get in it. it's not fun. not at all. >> she bleeds she pleads guilty and gets five years probation, but when she commits another crime, percent tense is revoked and she gets one to four years behind bars. here in vegas there is the thought that prostitution is legal.

there are numerous 800 numbers, call girl services. it's here. it's sad. sad. very dark. >> i don't care if they are the most prolific prostitute in las vegas, these are hard lives. while there is certainly good reason to do an investigation like this, i mean, nobody who saw it or took part in it was high fiving that they caught somebody doing it. the las vegas police department stepped up their vice squad investigations like the ones that we have shown you this hour in response to a significant spike in criminal activity. soon after they reported a 40% reduction in vice related theft and all major crimes involving pimps, prostitutes and johns started trending downward. a trend they hope will continue all this in an effort to reach their goal of making las vegas the safest community in america. that's all for